Deuteronomy

Book Written:  8th century B.C.  not attributed to Moses; edited by Levites at some point
 
Time Period/Setting:

Title:  from Greek deuteros and nomos meaning second law;  in Hebrew the book is known by the first words of the text, 'These are the words'.


While turgid may be too strong a descriptor, I found this book a little abstruse, perhaps because it is, as my study aids helped me to know, a series of three sermons given by Moses in an "oratorical" style.   Deuteronomy means 'second law,' the first law being the Ten Commandments given in the book of Exodus.  The "Great Commandment" (Baker) is found in Ch. 6, 4-6.   

The Lord our God is one Lord.   You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 

If I remember correctly, these verses always began the worship at the Presbyterian Church we used to attend. 

Fr. Baker explains that the theme of what are called the Deuteronomic histories--Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings--is "the idea of temporal reward for keeping the Law and punishment for violating it."   He notes that Jesus quotes Deuteronomy in Matthew 4 and Matthew 22,35-39.

Numbers

Book Written:  over a period of a thousand years (?); edited in time of Ezra, 5th centuryB.C.

Time Period/Setting:  Numbers is a record of the 40 years of wanderings (1290 B.C. to 1250 B.C.) of the Israelites as they head toward the Promised Land.  I followed their whereabouts with interest on the map; Kadesh-barnea  and the Wilderness of Zin seem to be where most of the action takes place.  There's a record of their journey in Chapter 33.

Title:   From the Greek Arithmoi and refers to census that occurs in first chapter;  the Hebrew name is Bemidbar meaning 'in the wilderness.'

Nazirites.  The Nazirites are introduced to us in Ch. 6.  I had heard of this group with some suggestion that Jesus might have been a Nazirite.  That's probably not the case, but I picked it up somewhere along the way.  Samson, however, was a Nazirite, and the notes in my study Bible about Samson set me up pretty well for his story coming up in Judges. Can't wait.  I've always been fuzzy about Samson and Delilah.

Aaronic Blessing. The beautiful Aaronic blessing is also found in Ch. 6.24-26.  I heard this first and most often in the Presbyterian church;  Catholics seem to refer to it less often.

Moses. Far and away the best part of Numbers, though, is the recurring puling and complaining of the people to Moses. Who doesn't recognize in their voices the voice of a two-year old who stamps his foot and says 'no' or the teen-ager who keeps complaining about how boring his life is or our own voices when we moan and groan about whatever it is that is annoying us at the moment.   "If we only had some meat!"  (i.e. If only we had more  money/time/fill-in-the-blank ..)  "We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing."  (i.e.  I told you we shouldn't have done this.)  "There's nothing at all but this manna to look at."  (i.e.  I clean and cook and shop all day and have nothing to show for it.)    ". . .now our strength is dried up" (i.e. It's not my fault.)   "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt!"  (i.e. You're mean.  I wish I was dead!) 

Moses picks up the mood as well and goes directly to the Lord with some irony and humor, "Did I conceive all this people?  Did I give birth to them . .. "(11.12-15)   He gets very upfront and personal, much as before when the Lord first calls him.  In so many words, Moses faults God for abandoning him with this miserable lot of whining good-for-nothings, that if this is the kind of friend God is going to be Moses, thanks, but no thanks, he'd sooner die.   Moses is kind of nervy, a real noodge.  My study Bible refers to him as "indignant" in this exchange with the Lord.

Chapter 20 concerns the waters of Meribah.  Here is where Moses disobeys orders, a lack of faith really, and strikes the rock instead of just commanding the rock (the importance of "the word?") resulting in his being unable to enter the Promised Land.   My study Bible says that "no satisfying explanation has ever been given for the punishment of Moses and Aaron. .. . "  Ever?  As I commented earlier, the punishment seems harsh to me, but maybe the problem here is that Moses doesn't just show a lack of faith, he disregards a direct order from the Lord.  However, lapses of faith and disregarding God's orders  would seem to boil down to the same thing.  They are very human flaws.   Thoughts?

                         
Balaam.  I wish that I might have summoned up more interest in this story, but just didn't. 

  

Leviticus

Book Written:   6th century B.C., time of the Babylonian exile; inspired (?) by
Moses
Time Period/Setting: 

Title:  refers to tribe of Levi; Priest's Manual (early Hebrew name)


Not too much to say here.  I did read or at least skim every chapter.

Exodus

Book Written:  10th century B.C. with editing in 6th century; attributed to Moses

Time Period/Setting:  1290 - 1250 B.C.

Title:  Exodus means 'departure' and is the Greek-derived name;  the book's Hebrew name is taken from the first words of the book, 'These are the names'.


Call To Moses. God's Call to Moses is instructive, wryly funny and depicts human nature in all its weakness.   The reluctant Moses is another one of us average people who would be just as happy to carry on as usual (and be mediocre)except that now God has chosen him to do un-average things. 

After Moses hears that he's the lucky one to be tapped by God to go to Pharoah, he begs off,  as any but the most vainglorious would, and says (3.11) in so many words, Please.  I'm nobody. Why me?  God briefly explains that he will be with Moses.  Not to worry. 

But Moses, who is clearly looking for excuses to worm his way out of this job, tries again and  wants to know what he should say if the Israelites ask for the name of the one who has sent him.  God expounds at some length as to how Moses should respond to such a question and recapitulates his intentions for Moses. 

Ever persistent (and clever, argumentative but not unrealistic), Moses has thought of a third angle to pursue that might get him off the hook.  He asks God what to do if the Israelites won't believe him.  For this one the Lord gives Moses some practical help.  He instructs Moses in giving signs, first, the staff thrown down to become a snake, second  the hand inside the cloak which then reappears as leprous.  The patient Lord must be anticipating Moses' next objection because before Moses can ask what to do if neither sign works, the Lord advises that if you don't get anywhere with the first, you will with the second, pretty spectacular,  but here's a third just in case, turn the water of the Nile into blood. 

Amazingly, Moses comes back at the Lord with a fourth excuse reminding God that he, Moses, is slow of speech.   The Lord in turn reminds Moses that He knows all about Moses' slow tongue, that He is God and can make people deaf, dumb and blind and that furthermore, He can tell them what to say and make them say it! With that, the Lord dismisses Moses with the equivalent of a human wave of the hand by commanding, Now, go!

Not be outdone, Moses again has a rejoinder! But this time he's beaten down.  The only thing left to say to the Lord is what Moses was really saying in the first place which is,  There must be somebody else.  Send them. 
Most remarkable to me about the interchange is that this is the Bible, inspired writing, and Moses is talking as if he's Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, challenging, questioning and negotiating with God (to paraphrase Tevye, would it really have been such a big deal for  God to have made him a rich man).   Equally remarkable, The Lord talks back and though  Moses tries His patience (4.14), God listens.  Not only does He listen, He finally accommodates and sends Aaron along to help.

Our God is awe-inspiring and mighty but not inaccessible or tyrannical.  Just the opposite in fact.  He sets high standards for even the most average of us, maybe standards that seem out of our reach, but He listens, He hears us, He's patient and, while He holds us to the high standards that He has set, He's more than willing to work with us, I guess, as long as we're willing to listen and work with Him. 

Waters of Meribah. I paid particular attention to the waters of Meribah in 17.1-8. where Moses was instructed to strike the rock in order to bring forth water.   I was unaware until very recently that Moses was denied entry to the Promised Land due to disobeying God's orders later (in Numbers 20.8) when he was supposed to simply command the rock to bring forth water.  Though I've just finished saying how patient and loving God is, here His punishment seems harsh.  Something to think about.

The Ark. Though detailed in the extreme, I did read with interest the instructions for constructing the ark (gold and acacia wood), the lampstand with cups in the shape of almond blossoms with "calyxes" and "petals,"  the tabernacle, the curtain (where did they get the crimson and purple yarns?), the breastplate (and whence the carnelian, emerald, sapphire, moonstone, beryl, onyx and jasper),  the vestments (pomegranates around the hem with golden bells in between, very beautiful) and I was gratified to read about the ephod, having once made the acquaintance of someone named Ephod (a man). 

Moses. Also food for thought is Moses' back-and-forth with God in 33.12.  Is this generally known as Moses' Intercession" as it's called in my Bible?  Moses seems to be challenging God to reveal himself--"show me your ways''-- asking for proof that God is there.    Though God says he'll comply, there are limits--"my face shall not be seen."   Why? 

Genesis

Book written:  10th century B.C.,  editing 6th century B.C. some attribute to Moses

Time Period/Setting:  time immemorial to about 1700 B.C.

Title:  Genesis means 'beginning'

Familiar Bible Stories:  I hope I'll finally remember that all the old, familiar children's Bible stories are told in the book of Genesis:  Creation, Adam and Eve, Cain (the murdering one who was a farmer ) and Abel (the shepherd), Noah and the Ark (and his sons Shem, Ham and Japheth who are constantly memorialized in crossword puzzles), The Tower of Babel, Jacob's Ladder (a favorite Bible School song, too) and Joseph and his coat of many colors.   Jacob wrestles with God in the book of Genesis, and here, conveniently, is Pope Benedict's reflection on the matter.   And, back to Cain and Abel for a moment, why was God  unhappy with Cain's offering.  Maybe I didn't read carefully enough, but that stymies me.

Patriarchs and Wives:  The challenge I had in reading the book of Genesis was keeping the patriarchs and their wives and children straight and trying to place them all correctly in time and space.
 
Abraham and Sarah (formerly Abram and Sarai) started out in Haran which is present day northern Iraq in the year ?  , but at God's instruction worked their way down past Bethel to the Negeb and Egypt.  Seems like an awful lot of territory to cover.   The tale of Sodom and Gomorrah includes the astonishing manner in which Lot offered up his virgin daughters to the mob of angry men at his door.  Something similar happens later on in Judges (19.22  Gibeah's crime).  Let me make clear that I'm not a feminist by any stretch of the imagination, but the status of women in Biblical times makes my hair stand on end.  Talk about an oppressed, sub-par existence.  

Then, through God's power, follows Sarah's pregnancy and she gives birth to Isaac. 

Isaac marries Rebekah, who like Sarah must await God's touch in order to bear their twin sons, Jacob and Esau.  Rebekah was an agreeable figure at first, but proves to be nasty and calculating.  Why?  Are we to learn something from this mean mother (or mean wife)?

Jacob of course wants to marry Rachel, but is tricked into marrying Leah.  When he does get Rachel she, like Sarah and Rebekah, is barren.  God again intervenes.  Each of these births,  Isaac's, Jacob's (and Esau's) and Joseph's is an event set apart just as Christ's birth will be set apart, just as, I can't help but think we are being instructed here, every birth is a special event touched by God.  Marriage, pregnancy, procreation are not hum-drum, every day acts governed by human whimsy.  Nobody is an accident of nature.  Each of us is a distinct intention of God, created for a purpose.

Because God chose these women to be wives and mothers of Israel's patriarchs, I would have expected them to be, well, nicer, more refined, exemplary in their behavior.  But these women are awful.  Sarah is cynical and bitter.  Rebekah, sort of a Lady MacBeth, plots and schemes behind her husband's back.  Leah and Rachel compete with each other over who has had more children.  I would ask, what's their problem, but I think I know.  They have to share a husband and not only with each other!  How about the matter of the sisters "giving" Jacob their maids!  He has two sons with Bilhah and two sons with Zilpah.   And these sons count as his legitimate sons, heads of the twelve tribes along with their brothers.  

Rachel's sons seem to occupy pride of place, especially Joseph, and Rachel's death and burial are given some mention.  Interestingly, she was buried on the road to Bethlehem and  Jacob even puts up a stone at her gravesite.  I believe her tomb is mentioned again somewhere in Exodus or Numbers as the Israelites pass through.  Not sure about that.

Where:  As for where all this takes place, it seems that Jacob is sometimes in Paddan-aram which is near Haran, Abraham's point of origin, and at other times he's in Canaan and maybe other times he's elsewhere.  

Twelve Tribes: Jacob's sons, the twelve tribes, in alpha order:  Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Gad, Issachar, Joseph, Judah, Levi, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon and Zebulun.